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State Construction Projects Will Continue Through COVID-19

Transportation Secretary
Stephanie Pollack said last Monday that state bridge and roadway work – such as
the North Washington Street Bridge project or the Mystic/Tobin rehabilitation
work – will continue on through the COVID-19 response while using protective
measures on the job sites.

“On the one hand, we have to
address health and safety first, but on the other hand it is construction
season and we have a limited construction season here,” she said. “In any case
we can continue safely with construction, we hope to do so.”

Critical infrastructure and
repair work has been deemed essential since the beginning of the COVID-19
response, as has most construction, but some have opted to shut down for worker
safety anyhow. Pollack said completing projects can be done as long as it is
done with care.

She said they have new job
site protocols and are requiring Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) with a
zero tolerance policy towards those that don’t follow their explicit direction.

Highway Administrator
Jonathan Gulliver said they have been taking precautions with their own staff
that investigates sites for compliance, and also a set of precautions for the
contractor community.

All sites must practice
social distancing first and foremost, he said. When that’s not possible, they
turn to protective equipment.

“When social distancing
isn’t possible as part of construction, such as working inside a mechanical
room or placing a beam when two people have to be in close quarters with one
another, in these situations contractors are expected to implement protections
by supplying masks and eyewear and other PPE that is necessary to do that
operation in a safe way,” he said. “We’ve been really clear with contractors
and our staff that to be prepared with PPE is as essential as having a hard hat
on the job.”

Gulliver said they are
prepared to shut down job sites that don’t comply, but so far they haven’t had
to.

“There have been no
occurrences where we’ve had to do a full shutdown, but we’ve had to ask
contractors to modify their work in several important ways,” he said.

•In news from the Registry,
it was reported that the federal government has given the state an extension to
comply with the Real ID requirement.

Everyone with a license was supposed to
have a new Real ID by October. Now, that has been continued to next year.